Hyundai I30 Problems

The i30 gets The Tick from me, is definitely not a throwaway, and is a better choice than the smaller and less refined HR-V, despite the flexibility of the Honda's cabin.

I wouldn’t recommend the Focus or the Golf, European is not the way to go. The best choices are the Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer and the Hyundai i30.

Your choice is a good one, and the i30 gets The Tick, but wait until December as Hyundai will be pushing hard to make its ambitious sales target for the year. That will mean great deals in showrooms.

Typically you're looking at a car around 2010 vintage for that money, so it's got a few years on it and will have done a few kays. With that in mind it's best to go for a car that's going to give you a good run for your money over a few years. Steer clear of European brands, that includes Ford as its small cars come out of Europe, and go for a solid brand with a good reputation for reliability. In my view that means a Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Kia Rio, Hyundai i30.

Even Hyundai admits there are shortcomings in its Bluetooth setup so, although it works fine for you, perhaps you have not had the opportunity for a back-to-back test with 10 other vehicles including the super-impressive Mercedes-Benz GLC.

The three cars you nominate are all sound and good buying in the small to medium class. I wouldn't recommend buying European, they are generally less reliable and more costly to run than cars from Asia. You could also consider a Honda Civic or Kia Rio.

If you need space, go for the Camry, if you want something more nimble and sporty the Hyundai will be better. Both get The Tick from me.

We test all cars in the real world, on the toughest corners and worst surfaces we can find, and I've been doing the job for nearly 40 years. Hyundai has focussed its suspension work on European-style handling, not a cushy American-style ride, but that's no different from many other brands. For your needs I would probably have steered you to a Nissan Pulsar, but also advised not to buy anything without a proper test drive on road you know.

That seems to be a high price for a sunvisor. I bought one for a BMW a while back and it was much less expensive. My search on line suggests you should be able to buy a genuine Hyundai visor for around $100-$120.